Before It's Too Late
by In His Eyes
Summary: Takes place during and after 'Mad as a Hatter.' Alice/Jerivs.
1. Chapter 1

Jervis tipped his head, letting the length of his hat shadow his face. A gleeful smile brightened his mouth, and he hummed to himself, the tune repetitive. If Alice heard, she gave no sign. She sat quite still, her hands folded in her lap, her dull eyes gazing beyond him.

"Oh, my Alice," he sighed happily. "It _is_ a beautiful night, yes? Quite a wonderland of scenic delights. And you, my curious child, are the loveliest of all." An unsettling silence continued to follow his compliments. Alas, her stare was constant. The young girl didn't blink - didn't _move_. The Hatter tried not to think about it, tried to rejoice in her company regardless, but he missed her bubbly nature, and the softness of her expressions.

"Lovelier than all the world, really," he attempted again. Anxiously, he adjusted his pale collar, and scooted a little closer. But no matter his measures, he could not coax a reaction out of her.

"Oh, my Alice," he frowned.

His fingers twitched, and he drummed them nervously against the mushroom. After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and gently held her elbow, sliding his fingertips down her skin until his gloved hand entwined with hers. "Alice," he addressed her fervently. "Alice, say something. Please," he moaned. "Please, _please_…" Jervis squeezed her hand as he held the back of it to his cheek. Desperate, he leaned into her limp touch. "You love me, don't you, my dear? I need to know you love me. Oh, Alice, if you loved me… if you only loved me it wouldn't have to be like this. I wouldn't have to control you if you chose me. I…" Jervis stopped, shutting his eyes tightly. A sob overtook him, and he whimpered, clutching sorrowfully to her motionless hand.

As he indulged in his pitiful emotions, the sensation of warmth burrowed against his glove. Jervis jerked back suddenly - small fingers had curled around his wrist. It was a comforting action, really, and he searched frantically, hopefully, for a spark of expression in her eyes.

Utterly _dull_.

"Curiouser and curiouser…" Jervis murmured. Slowly, he ran his hand down from the top of her head, catching the ends in his careful grip. He paused, then dropped the strands.

"Did I make you do that?" he asked darkly. "I must beg your forgiveness. I do realize… I understand you would not want to touch me. And why ever would you, my sweet? I warrant nothing from you. I can only offer my madness, my love..." Uneasily, he continued. "I am not handsome, my Alice. I am not young, either. I could never be _Billy_. But I do have my own sort of genius - there are no lengths I wouldn't go to to keep my curious girl happy. Why," he announced loudly, jumping to his feet, "why, I would fight a Jabberwocky in your defense! I would brave anything, for you to love me," he ended quietly.

The wind picked up, blowing back the end of his coat. Alice's hair swept over her face, and she could not tuck it back. "My little doll," the Hatter sighed as he sat down beside her. "You must be chilled in that dress. Here, take my coat." And he tugged it off, leaving only a dress shirt and vest to accompany his costume. While wrapping it carefully around her shoulders, Alice seemed to snuggle against the material, and the Hatter froze, glancing up into her blank eyes.

"Be wary, my dear…" Jervis whispered. "Please don't make me think this your volition…" He adjusted the lapels on his coat distractedly. "I do _want _to take the chip out… I do want you as you were… but what if you don't want _me_? What if you flee? What then, Alice? No, I know you don't want me. I won't, I can't join the dance." Jervis hung his head sadly.

A shadow passed over one of the lampposts, but both ignored the warning. The tears were too blinding as they formed in the Hatter's eyes for him to recognize anything. Slowly, he raised his face. "There are things I want to tell you, things I could not say if I knew you were truly cognizant." Jervis retook her hand, and stared longingly at her profile. "For instance," he began, "you're the only girl I've ever loved. I've waited my whole lonely life for you. The wait has been severe, but Alice… oh Alice, you're so much more than I could have _ever_ imagined. You can't know how lonely it is, disliking people as I do, being shut away with my work. And I began to think that's all there was - solidarity. But you! You stumbled upon me, so to speak, as I sat at the head of my tea party, with nothing but rows and rows of empty chairs that would never be filled. And you sat with me, and you talked with me, and I - I had never been in love…"

The Hatter raised his hand dazedly, and reached out to brush her lips. At the contact, however, he pulled back ashamedly. Cringing, he whispered, "forgive me… for not being able to let you go."

A faint, but definite, swooshing sound alerted the Hatter. Then, without warning, a mass of black landed, crouched, at the foot of their mushroom. Jervis gasped, stretching a protective arm across Alice. "No," he whispered in horror. "No! You can't have her!"

The Bat stood to his full height. "Give up now, Tetch," he reasoned. "It's what's best for her, and you know it."

"No!" he answered feverishly. "I can't live without her, I won't! She was going to marry him… but I've undone all that. We can be happy, now. Just leave us be!"

"Happy?" the Bat echoed. "Happy with your little _doll_? She's not capable of being what you want, not in this state. Think about it," he posed. "No surprises, no uncontrolled love. That's what you're desperate for, isn't it? So desperate you'd invent all this--" the Bat gestured to their surroundings, "just to grasp a scrap of her love."

Jervis stared wide-eyed at the Dark Knight. "I'd never hurt her…" he whispered defensively.

"You've hurt her already," the Bat answered disgustedly. "End the charade now, _before _the damage gets worse. This is your fair warning."

Anxiously, Jervis fingered the mind control chip in his pocket. A flick of the wrist and Batman's mind would be his. And Alice - Alice would never leave him. If the Bat couldn't take her, he thought, no one could. It was all so maddeningly easy. "If you say so," Jervis sighed dejectedly. He clutched his invention victoriously. Suddenly, the chip shot from his hand, spinning rapidly towards Batman. But the Hatter hadn't counted on the Bat's reflexes, and he darted, missing the chip by an astounding distance.

Jervis growled angrily.

"I gave you a fair warning," Batman reminded him.

The Hatter had no time to block the blow that crushed against his face, knocking him off the mushroom. Pitifully, he groaned into the grass, then fell silent. His hat lied beside him, mocking his lost fantasy.

Batman rushed to Alice, searching her hastily for the tiny chip. "Ah," he announced, and gently untangled the headband from her hair. Slowly, Alice tipped her head, then groggily raised it.

"Miss Pleasance?" Batman asked. When she eyed him fearfully, he continued. "You're safe now. The man you work for, Jervis Tetch, he planted _this_ in your hair. It's a mind control device. He was using it to keep you with him." Patiently, he waited for her to comment, but she stayed silent. If it hadn't been for the sadness in her eyes, he might have thought she was still under the Hatter's control. "I know this is a lot to take in, but the police will be here soon. You have nothing to fear."

Alice covered her face in her small hands. "Thank you," she whispered distractedly.

Before the Bat could nod, his legs were taken out. The Hatter barreled at him, swinging and dodging with every strength he could rally. Taken off guard, Batman leapt back, just out of Jervis' way.

"She's mine!" Jervis seethed. "You can't take what's mine!"

Angrily, the Bat clenched his fist, arching his elbow. But before he could strike, a small figure darted in front of him, and latched onto the front of Jervis Tetch's shirt.

Jervis gasped, and took a clumsy step backward. Alice was clutching him so tightly her hands were shaking. "No!" she cried as she buried her head in the material. Her eyes were squeezed shut, but tears still managed fall down her pale skin, absorbed by his shirtfront. "Don't make him hurt you!" she begged. "Please, I don't want him to hurt you!"

"Alice…?" Jervis whispered in astonishment.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she responded shakily.

Jervis clutched her arms. "Sorry…" he repeated dazedly.

If the Batman was shocked by her actions, Jervis was terrified. His Alice was in his arms, voluntarily, pleading for him. And she was sorry… for what, Jervis had no idea, but the source of her apology was of little importance to him. The possibility that she didn't hate him, _that_ was something to focus on.

"I didn't know, Jervis… I never - how could I…?" she rambled on.

"Alice…" Batman began warily.

Suddenly, she spun around, making an effort to shield Jervis with her outstretched arms. "Please, he didn't mean to hurt anyone," she reasoned with Batman. "I'm fine, really! He-he only did it because… it's my fault!" she ended desperately.

Batman held up a gentle hand, and took a slow step forward. "I'm sorry, Miss Pleasance, but your employer's crimes extend past tonight."

"But the police don't need to be involved, do they?" Pleadingly, she turned back to Jervis, who had gone stiff and sheet white. "You won't hurt anyone again, will you?"

"I…"

"He won't, I know he won't!" she defended. Batman took another step forward.

"Alice, I think you're a little confused… why don't you-"

He paused, and all three heads snapped up at the sound of nearing sirens.

Alice burst into tears.

"It's alright, Alice," Batman comforted. "They'll put him in Arkham, he'll get the help he needs."

Alice jumped at the sound of Jervis' voice. "Yes, Alice," he agreed slowly. Tears were beginning to well in his dark eyes, and he paused, wearily stretching out his hand to stroke a lock of her hair. "It's alright," he whispered.

Finally, his eyes met hers. She sniffled, but managed to keep her tearful stare constant.

And then Batman was gone, and officers were running towards them; they could hear their boots slap the card maze pavement.

Not once did Alice break eye contact with the Hatter.

Not when they handcuffed him.

Not when they shoved him into a police vehicle.

Only when the car was out of sight did she turn dazedly to the investigators. "He's getting help," she assured them. Slowly, she bent down and picked up the Hatter's coat. He'd given it to her, and she'd let it slip from her shoulders during the fight. With a frown, Alice held the material in her folded arms, before wrapping it around herself. She shivered, and tugged it tighter. "They're taking him to Arkham," she reiterated. "He-he'll get help there."

Then Alice Pleasance began to sob.

A/N: Well, there's the first chapter. I have most of the second part completed, so that should be up soon as well. There are so few Hatter/Alice stories, I figure the pairing could use another voice. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Jervis has endured seven days at Gotham's infamous asylum for the criminally insane. Seven days of solitary confinement, of frequent visits from psychiatrists and psychoanalysts. Seven days of mind-numbing, heart-wrenching, immeasurable hours, all without the only thing that ever truly mattered: his Alice. Worse still, he had nothing but his loss to focus on. Desperation had forced him to do monstrous, disastrous, and worst of all, unforgivable things; there was no hope for one such as he.

But Arkham wasn't so bad, really.

Well, all thing considered, it could really be worse, couldn't it?

He could have a jabberwocky as a cell mate.

Jervis sighed. His Alice had looked so painfully, unattainably beautiful the night he'd stolen her. He could almost feel, even now, the warmth of her small body as she grasped onto his coat and buried her head against his trembling chest. Certainly, though, she had come to her senses by now. Once she realized the full extent of his crimes, the wrongs he'd committed in the name of a selfish and unrequited love, there would be no more pitying glances, no unsteady embraces. He would remain as he is; the man who could not join the dance.

Jervis halted his pacing, and peered idly through the small glass panel in the center of the door. For now, this tiny window was his only insight into the lives of others; prisoners, prison guards, they all strode past, eventually. And for a moment there was something beyond his disparaging loneliness. There were men who laughed and shivered and cried, with medication shoved down their throats and cold handcuffs clasped around their wrists. Jervis wanted to swear, to vow on everything he believed in, that he would never become so intoxicated, so utterly mad. But they were _all_ mad here, and he felt himself descending, with a twinge of self-loathing, to their frenzied level.

Jervis slid against the side of the wall, and sat crouched in the corner with his face in his hands. How much longer could he endure this? His trial had yet to begin, and a sentence had yet to be delivered. Would he spend years in this closet space, isolated and miserable, half his time spent thinking of her, the other half dreaming of what could have been?

Keys jingled somewhere in the hallway; Jervis' head shot up, and he shook away the remnants of his reverie. The handle turned, and he stood clumsily as a guard marched over to him.

"Come on, Tetch. Dr. Leland asked for you, says you have a visitor."

"Ah." Jervis bowed his head, allowing himself to be handcuffed. He had had quite the assembly of visitors this week; all professionals. Surely, some officer was waiting to explore the case further.

They stopped before the interrogation room, and Jervis stood aside, waiting for entry. In an unusual move, Dr. Leland came out first, shutting the door quietly behind her. Her eyebrows were knit together, and she stared at her patient as though he held a flamingo in one hand, and a croquet set in the other.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Tetch," she addressed him, and smoothed her skirt absently. "I must speak with you before we begin this visit."

"Fair enough…" Jervis stared back, just as oddly. "Is everything alright, Doctor?"

"The day you abducted Miss Pleasance, you did say that her behavior, post-mind control, was very unusual? That she had never acted in such a way before that moment?"

Jervis fumbled, and looked ashamedly to the ground. "That is correct."

Dr. Leland nodded, then pressed him further. "As one professional to another, do you believe that this behavior could have been a side effect of the manipulation her body went through?"

"I…" Jervis stared confusedly up at her. He began wringing his hands. "I do not know. Alice was always so kind, you see. So very, undeservedly kind."

Dr. Leland shook her head, very slightly. "It would seem so."

"Alright, Mr. Tetch," she consented, and held open the door. "You may see her now."

"Her?" Jervis craned his neck, then stepped hesitantly into the fluorescently lit room.

Alice Pleasance sat at the head of a small table, staring shyly up at him.

"Alice!" He breathed in shock. Eyes wide, he took a small step back. Dr. Leland put a steady hand on his shoulder, and guided him farther into the room.

"H-hello, Jervis," she greeted. Although her voice was small and unsteady, she managed a faint, nervous smile. "I came to see how you're doing."

"How-how I'm…" Staggered, Jervis whispered painfully, "But _why_?"

"Oh." Alice looked at her hands, which rested politely on the tabletop. "Well, I was worried about you." Suddenly seeming very unsure of herself, she began, "If you'd rather I left…"

"No!" Jervis' hand shot out, as though to keep her from leaving. He cringed, and lowered his arm, balling his fist at his side. "No," he tried again, softer this time. "No, it's just… don't you…?"

He closed his eyes painfully.

"Don't I what, Jervis?" Alice gently prompted.

"Don't you… hate me?" he finished.

Alice's eyes went wide, and her face felt suddenly warm.

Dr. Leland cleared her throat. "Miss Pleasance has requested a few moments alone with you to explain herself. I can give you five, but that is all our patients are permitted. Carry on."

When the door shut, Jervis stayed standing, glaring sadly at the floor beneath his feet.

"Won't you sit down?" Alice began, boldly inviting him to take the chair nearest to her.

Hesitantly, Jervis met her eyes. "I fear this is a dream," he admitted. "And I fear you, my Alice." Finally sitting, he put his head in his hands. "I fear you so…"

Her lips parted in surprise, and she leaned over him, unsure of how to offer comfort. "I don't hate you," she soothed, "Oh Jervis, I could never hate you."

He lifted his head, and stared at her wildly. "You can't possibly mean that…"

"Of course I can! I do, with all my heart. That's why I came here… I just-" Alice bit her lip, staring intently at the broken man before her. "I need you to know that I forgive you. What happened was… frightening, at times. But I understand why you did it," she clarified quickly. Jervis had begun to scratch loathingly at his palm and wrist. "And-and I want us to be friends again… if that's alright with you."

Jervis froze. "Friends…" he echoed dazedly.

"Are…" Hesitantly, Alice switched subjects. "Are you doing alright in here? How are they treating you?"

"Oh, Alice," Jervis sighed miserably. "I know how good you are, but surely, surely this is some…some sort of side effect. Yes, that's it. Delayed emotions, delayed…revulsion. I would give anything in the world to take back what I did!" he swore, his voice rising in volume and intensity. "_Anything_. But you must understand that what's done is done, and I don't deserve even the faintest forgiveness from you." He shook his head slightly, a humorless smile barely forming on his lips.

"Seeing you again is more than I could have ever hoped for. I would never ask for more than that."

A small moment of silence passed, and when Alice began to reply, Jervis could hear in her voice that she was holding back tears. "Do you remember the day you found me? I was huddled over a box of papers, sitting on the ground next to my desk. And I'd been having such a hard week… I didn't want to organize, or clean up any mess but my own. And I started to cry; looking back, it was so silly, really. But I supposed I hadn't really let it surface until then. And that's when you found me…" Alice smiled fondly, her eyes suddenly brighter. "You were so worried," she laughed, but tears sprang from her eyes, and soon she was sobbing. "You were so worried," she repeated.

"Don't cry," Jervis begged, "Please don't cry, Alice." His heart ached at the sound, but he could think of nothing to console her. Involuntarily, his hands reached out, but he stopped himself. His touch, his very being, had done enough damage already. "I… I do remember that day."

"You brought me tea," she continued, wiping furiously at her eyes. "And you made me smile. And when you smiled back, I couldn't even remember why I was so upset in the first place, only that I was glad that I had been; so that you could smile at me…."

Alice sighed, and looked away. "I can't imagine going back to work without you." She paused, as though unsure of her next statement. "You… you were always what I looked forward to most in my day."

Jervis sat stunned, looking almost horrified at the sight before him. _She_ looked forward to seeing _him_? A man nearly twice her age, with little money and even fewer social skills; a man who tried to steal everything from her, all because he was too selfish to let go of the one thing that brightened _his_ day. It was preposterous, even to him. "Oh, Alice…" Jervis whispered, and hung his head sadly. "Your words are very beautiful…"

He jumped, stiffening at the feel of her small hand over his. But she held him firmly, refusing to let him break away. "Can I come and visit you sometimes?" she asked, and he ached when he saw the sincerity in her eyes. "Would that… be alright?"

Jervis shivered, and Alice felt the tremor run through their hands. "Yes," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Oh, Alice… I-"

The sound of the door handle being turned startled them both. Jervis shied away from her, and stood abruptly as Dr. Leland made her way in.

"I'm sorry, but time is up; I let you go over by a few minutes, anyway." She turned to Alice. "Thank you for coming, Miss Pleasance. I trust we'll be seeing you again?"

Alice stared back timidly, her face taking on a faint blush. "Y-yes, if that's alright."

"Certainly!" Dr. Leland smiled. "I've always believed that outside contact is beneficial to any incarcerated patient. Come, a guard will escort you out."

Alice turned to look behind her. "Goodbye, Jervis," she said, and he nodded awkwardly. "I'll…see you soon."

"Yes…" he mumbled. "_Alice_."

She smiled faintly, and exited the room.

"She's something else, isn't she?" Dr. Leland commented, once they were alone. "It's a strange situation, being involved with someone at Arkham." She frowned suddenly, as though remembering something painful. Then she shook her head, a slight smile on her lips. "Then again, she's hardly Dr. Quinzel, and you're hardly the Joker. I'm… I'm happy for you, Jervis. I think your recovery, unlike so many others, will be quick, and permanent."

Jervis nodded his thanks. "She has always been such a good friend," he acknowledged.

Dr. Leland grinned. Clearly, in his state of shock at seeing her again, he had missed one pivotal detail:

Alice Pleasance wasn't wearing a ring.

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! It took me a long time to pick this up again, but hopefully the third chapter, which will probably be the last, can be finished soon. I just love these two too much to put them down for long. =D Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, but please feel free to critique it. Thank you for reading!


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